#Women Writers
“Killing Eve” Gets a New Lead Writer and Women Directors
Stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are returning for Season 2 of “Killing Eve,” but a major shakeup is in the works behind the scenes of the spy thriller. Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is...
Teaser Watch: Jennifer Garner Heads to the Wilderness in “Camping”
As Sydney Bristow, Jennifer Garner defied death at every turn and pulled off dozens of elaborate undercover operations. The “Alias” actress is returning to TV, but her character on...
WGA West Survey: 64% of Female Writers Have Encountered Workplace Sexual Harassment
A month after WGA East released the findings of a sexual harassment survey given to its members, its sister union, WGA West, has published the results of its own survey. Unfortunately, the West...
Safe (and Unsafe) Spaces: Crowdfunding Picks
How do we react in the face of adversity or tragedy? Specifically, how do our identities and backgrounds shape the means by which we grow from these experiences? These are the questions our latest...
Lena Waithe Signs First-Look Deal with Showtime
Lena Waithe is taking her relationship with Showtime to the next level. The Emmy winner has signed a new first-look deal with the network, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Showtime announced that...
TIFF 2018’s Galas and Special Presentations Are 28 Percent Women-Directed
Claire Denis, Nicole Holofcener, and Amma Asante are heading to the Great White North. The directors’ latest films are making their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival...
Apply Now: New York Film Festival’s Critics Academy
If you’re hoping to break into the film criticism field, this workshop is for you. The Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) and Film Comment magazine are now accepting applications for the...
Elisabeth Shue-Starrer and Female-Led Boxing Drama Ordered to Pilot at TNT
TNT has ordered its first drama pilots of 2018, and both are women-centric. The network is developing Elisabeth Shue-led “Constance,” a portrait of a former beauty queen turned small...
Quote of the Day: Playwright Young Jean Lee on Identity Politics and Privilege
In a recent New York Times profile, South Korean-born playwright Young Jean Lee emphasized, “Identity politics saved my life.” It’s what got her through coming of age in Pullman,...
Trailer Watch: Hilary Swank Returns Home to Help an Ailing Blythe Danner in “What They Had”
“She’s going to forget everything,” says Hilary Swank in a new trailer for “What They Had.” Bridget (Swank) has returned home to Chicago to help navigate a family...
Shondaland Announces First Slate of Netflix Series
Shondaland’s massive empire continues to grow. Netflix has announced the first slate of series being developed by TV titans Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers and their Shondaland team....
“Wynonna Earp” Gets Season 4 Renewal at Syfy
“Wynonna Earp’s” third season just debuted, but the Syfy fantasy series has already received an order for its fourth installment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the renewal...
Weekly Update for July 20 Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” This sequel to 2008’s “Mamma Mia!” follows a pregnant Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) as she...
“Dietland” Star Jen Ponton on Her New Show, Sizeism, and Why She Wants to Play a Superhero
Jen Ponton was already a proponent of feminism and positive body image before she landed the role of Rubi on AMC’s new series, “Dietland,” a dramedy following a woman as she experiences a...
Melina Matsoukas to Direct “Queen & Slim,” Lena Waithe Penning the Script
Melina Matsoukas has yet another project in the works. Best known for directing Issa Rae-starrer “Insecure” and Beyoncé’s “Formation” video, the rising star will...
Writer to Watch: “Atlanta” Emmy Nominee Stefani Robinson
Stefani Robinson just scored her first Emmy nomination. The 26-year-old “Atlanta” scribe is up for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the Donald Glover starrer. The episode that...
Trailer Watch: Jennifer Lopez Fakes It Till She Makes It in “Second Act”
“I just wish we lived in a world where street smarts equal book smarts,” says Jennifer Lopez in a new trailer for “Second Act.” The comedy sees the Golden Globe nominee...
Trailer Watch: A Girl Chooses Between Being a Witch and a Goat in “I Am Not a Witch”
A U.S. trailer has arrived for Rungano Nyoni’s award-winning feature debut, “I Am Not a Witch.” The drama follows Shula (Margaret Mulubwa), an eight-year-old girl who shows up...
Exclusive: A Sex Worker and Writer’s Many Lives Are Explored in “Nelly” Trailer
“I’m not a writer,” a sex worker tells a client in the trailer for “Nelly” — but she actually is. Nelly Arcan (Mylène Mackay) is, in her words, a...
Apply Now: The Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship
Aspiring screenwriters, take note: The Black List and “Mudbound” producer Cassian Elwes are teaming up for the sixth year in a row for the The Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting...
Melissa London Hilfers to Pen “Jagged Edge” Remake Starring Halle Berry
Sony Pictures has tapped Melissa London Hilfers to write their “Jagged Edge” remake, Deadline confirms. Halle Berry is signed on to star as the heroine lawyer at the center of the...
Teaser Watch: Elle Fanning Goes on the Run in Mélanie Laurent’s “Galveston”
“Are you gonna kill me?” Elle Fanning asks Ben Foster in the new teaser for “Galveston.” Roy (Foster), a terminally ill hitman with a bounty on his head, replies no. And so...
Isabel Coixet Has a Drama About Spain’s First Lesbian Marriage On the Way
In just over a month “The Bookshop” hits U.S. theaters, but writer-director Isabel Coixet is already well on her way to completing her follow-up project. The Spanish filmmaker is...
“Batwoman” Series in Development at The CW
Batwoman is on the prowl. A series about the famed DC vigilante is in the works at The CW, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The character will make her debut in December as part of The CW’s...
Study: Male Film Reviewers Outnumber Females Two to One
Last month a headline-making study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative revealed just how overrepresented white male film critics were among the reviews of 2017’s top movies. (Spoiler...
Exploring the Psyche: July’s VOD and Web Series Picks
All three of the picks for this month’s VOD and web series round-up spotlight a loaded subject: mental health. Long considered taboo, mental health has finally started to be talked about more...
Trailer Watch: Anna Kendrick Goes Poking Around Blake Lively’s Past in “A Simple Favor”
“Wanna trade confessions? What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done?” Blake Likely asks Anna Kendrick in a new trailer for “A Simple Favor.” Emily (Lively) and...
Weekly Update for July 13 Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK What Will People Say – Written and Directed by Iram Haq Sixteen-year-old Nisha (Maria Mozhdah) lives a double life. When out with her...
Margaret Nagle to Pen Clementine Churchill Biopic
Wish “Darkest Hour” had more of Clementine Churchill? Winston Churchill’s wife is stepping into the limelight in a new biopic from Maven Pictures. Two-time Emmy nominee Margaret...
Julie Delpy and Sherry Marsh Developing New TV Projects
The television industry has been buzzing with various female-led and -driven adaptations. There’s Hulu’s adaptation of Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere,”, a...
Trailer Watch: Shannon Purser Can’t Stop Catfishing in “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser”
“You are a magnificent beast,” Shannon Purser tells her reflection in a new trailer for “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser.” The Emmy-nominated “Strangers Things” breakout...
Cate Shortland to Direct Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow Pic
The long-awaited Black Widow stand-alone movie is one big step closer to fruition. After meeting with over 70 potential directors, Marvel has decided on Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland. The...
2018 Emmy Nominations: Tiffany Haddish, Sandra Oh, Issa Rae, and More
Tiffany Haddish can add Emmy nominee to her rapidly expanding list of accolades. The 2018 Emmy nominations are in, and the “Girls Trip” breakout just scored her first-ever nod for hosting...
Bruna Papandrea Developing Karin Slaughter Novel for TV, Lesli Linka Glatter to Direct
So far, “Big Little Lies” producer Bruna Papandrea has had a busy year. Over the past few months, she snagged the rights to both Allison Pearson’s “How Hard Can It...
Viola Davis-Starrer “Widows” to Open London Film Festival
“Widows” has snatched the coveted opening slot at the BFI London Film Festival, Variety confirms. Starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez (“The Fast and the Furious”...
Trailer Watch: The Whole Family’s a Suspect in Agatha Christie’s “Ordeal by Innocence”
“Which one of them’s got blood on their hands?” a sarcastic Matthew Goode (“The Good Wife”) asks in Amazon Prime’s trailer for “Ordeal by Innocence.”...
Frankie Shaw Signs Overall Deal with ABC Signature Studios
Bridgette Bird isn’t destined for the WNBA and her acting career leaves much to be desired, but “SMILF” creator and and star Frankie Shaw’s own profile continues to rise. The...
Mimi Leder to Direct and Produce Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston’s Apple Series
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston’s upcoming Apple series still doesn’t have a name, but the buzzy project has secured a director. Emmy winner Mimi Leder is signed on to helm the...
Trailer Watch: Keira Knightley Tries to Escape Her Husband’s Shadow in “Colette”
“The wild days have just begun,” says Keira Knightley in a new trailer for “Colette.” The period drama is based on a true story and sees the two-time Oscar nominee playing...
TIFF’s Share Her Journey Campaign Announces Female Creator Initiative and Producer Program
The Toronto International Film Festival’s Share Her Journey campaign has announced some news in advance of the fest. Dedicated to championing women behind the scenes and in front of the camera,...
Debra Granik Working on Doc About Life After Incarceration
Debra Granik’s latest film hit theaters just a couple of weeks ago, but the Oscar-nominated writer-director is already in post-production on her next project. The “Leave No Trace”...
Showtime Orders Amanda de Cadenet Pilot
British interviewer and author Amanda de Cadenet is gearing up to add another project to her multifaceted resume. Deadline reports that Showtime has ordered a pilot from Cadenet, a half-hour weekly...
Trailer Watch: Chloë Grace Moretz Goes to Gay Conversion Camp in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post”
“Now you’re officially a disciple of God’s Promise,” Chloë Grace Moretz is told in a new trailer for Desiree Akhavan’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.”...
Karen Gillan’s Directorial Debut “The Party’s Just Beginning” Acquired by The Orchard
Karen Gillan has secured distribution for her feature directorial debut. The Orchard snagged rights to “The Party’s Just Beginning,” a suicide drama that the “Guardians of the...
Tiffany Haddish, Hannah Gadsby, and “Glow” Creators to Receive Just for Laughs Awards
If there’s one thing this year’s list of Just for Laughs Awards recipients shows, it’s that this is a big year for women in comedy. Unlike the past two years — in which one...
Janet Mock Makes History, Becomes First Trans WOC to Write and Direct TV Episode
Janet Mock has stepped into the director’s chair and history books. The trailblazer co-wrote and directed a recent episode of “Pose,” making her the first trans woman of color to...
Trailer Watch: Friendships Are At Stake in Season 6 of “Orange Is the New Black”
“Navigating adult female friendships is so complicated!” Suzanne (Uzo Aduba) laments as she tries to understand the inner workings of her new surroundings. If Litchfield Penitentiary had...
Teaser Watch: Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone Serve Queen Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”
“Sometimes a lady likes to have some fun,” says Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) in a new teaser for “The Favourite.” Set in early 18th century England, the comedy re-teams Weisz and...
Trailer Watch: Issa and Molly Vow to Know Better and Do Better in “Insecure’s” Third Season
Issa and her pals are “single, 30, thriving” in a new trailer for Season 3 of “Insecure.” That’s how they feel when they’re being optimistic, anyway. Issa (Issa...
Guest Post: Why Making a Sci-Fi Film Inspired Me to Fight Destiny and Sexism
Guest Post by Morgan Lariah “Anatomy is destiny, and you, Morgan, are going to have a very hard time.” I was freshly 18 and a new student at Hollywood’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts when...
Weekly Update for July 6 Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK Whitney (Documentary) With over 200 million album sales worldwide, and remaining the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1’s,...